Collapse of the Ottoman Empire

This research paper analyzes and compares the extent to which the international order in the west was destabilized by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and in the east by that of the Qing Dynasty. The slow decay and fitful decline of the Ottoman Empire culminating in its destruction at the end of World War I certainly influenced the balance of power in Eastern and Central Europe. The power vacuum thereby created had many disequibrilating consequences in the west which included political instability in the Balkans, conflicts among the Great Powers, the rise of strong powers such as Prussia and later Germany and Russia, the eventual disintegration of the Habsburg Empire and ultimately the decline of European preeminence. In part due to the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, the Middle East emerged as a cockpit of international tension, a condition which persists today. However, it is difficult to argue that what happened to the Ottoman Empire was the sole or primary cause of most of these developments. In contrast, the disintegration of the Manchu or Qing Chinese state in large measure led to the rise of rivalries among the European powers, Russia and Japan in East Asia. As a result of the Russo-Japanese war (over Manchuria and Korea, Chinese tributary states), Japan emerged as a dominant power in the region until its defeat by the United States and Russia's influence in the region declined. The failure of the Qing Dynasty to maintai

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to India. Likewise, the disintegration of Austria-Hungary was largely a product of the unwieldy and largely ungovernable heterogeneity of its subject peoples. The gradual, forced Turkish withdrawal from the Balkans enabled nationalistic groups to vie with each other and the Austrians for control of the region but did not cause those internecine struggles nor the growing conflict between Austria-Hungary and Russia for influence in areas such as Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Karsh & Karsh argue that the Ottoman decline did not necessarily mean total defeat (1). They blame the Enver Pasha led triumvirate which made a fatal mistake in allying Turkey with Germany and missing the opportunity to remain neutral in 1914. However, the removal of Turkish rule over the Arabs certainly was a major factor in creating the instability which has plagued the region ever since. However, Karsh & Karsh pointed out that "violence . . . was an integral part of the region's political culture" (348). Consequences of the Decline of the Qing Dynasty Invasion of China by barbarians from the North, a long period of stabilization of rule and in relation to China's neighbors, then further internal instability and weakness followed by another successf
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1934
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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